Separator for cartridge cartons



. bemore eiective Patented Jan. 20, 1953 SEPARATOR FOR CARTRIDGE CARTONSRichard C. Marshall, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Mars-Hall,Incorporated, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri `ApplicationNovember 13, 1952, Serial No. 320,200

1 claim. (c1. 217-28) Thisinvention relates to packing cartons foncartridges and particularly the separator for the ,cartridges containedwithin the enclosure or box portion of the carton, and the primary aimis to provide a separator for cartridge cartons that will I l than thoseheretofore employed in holding the cartridges in place and separatedfrom each other within the carton, adequate to sustain the parts of theseparator in place prior to. and during the introduction of thecartridges 'duringthe packaging operation, and self-adjusting inYresponse toforce exerted on partsl of the tor is introduced into the boxportionl l and when cartridges Mare thereafter packaged between thehereinafter defined elements of separator I2,

The separator is composd of an initially at body of foldable material I6bent back upon itself along a line of fold i8 topresent a pair ofsuperimposed sheets 20. Each sheet 2011s provided with aplurality ofparallel, laterally extending, elongated tabs 22 out from the'materialof each sheet 20 along one of their longitudinal edges 24 and both ends26'and 28, respectively, thereof.

separatorr as v.the cartridges are moved into the carton.`

other imprtant aims of this invention are to provide a separator forcartridge cartons that is ready for placement within the carton bymachines that are capable of high speed production and which do notembody unusually complicated parts likely to become maladjusted or outof order during the production of the separator.

An even further object of this invention is to provide a separator forcartridge cartons that will maintain its set up condition duringtransportation from point of manufacture to point of Y use, and that haspositive yet yieldable elements for maintaining the plurality orcartridge separating tabs in position to receive the cartridgestherebetween, which yieldable elements form a part of the saidseparating tabs after they have served their purpose as just above setdown and after the cartridges are packaged.

Details of construction respecting the manner of forming the tabs andretaining ears thereon constitute important objects of the invention andthe same will become apparent during the course of the followingspecification, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cartridge carton equipped with aseparator made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a. fragmentary, stretch-out view of the blank from which theseparator is produced;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the separator, showing the sameentirely removed from association with the box portion 0f the carton;and

Fig. 4 is a normally top plan view of the separator.

The box portion of the carton assembly shown in Fig. 1 and broadlydesignated by the numeral I0 is conventional and standard in type andincludes an open top through which the separator l2 and cartridges I4are moved when the separasimple inform and construction, relativelyinexl v pensive to produce, andv capable of being made The oppositelongitudinal edge of each tab 22 is formed by a line of fold 29 and aline of cut 30 in continuation of the straight line of fold 29, whichline of cut 30 extends inwardly from the ends 28 of the tabs 22. Tabs 22of the sheets 20 are in opposed relation, as shown inv Figs. 1 and 4,and extend laterally outwardly from their respective sheets 20 towardthe Walls of box portion I0 to substantially bridge the distance betweensheets 29 and the opposing wall of box I0, whereby to create stallsthroughout the length of separator l2 and along each side thereof toreceive cartridges ld in a manner illustrated in Fig. 1. The tabs 22 areidentical in form and each is created from the sheets 20 by cutting andscoring as above specied.

When the blank shown in Fig. 2 is cut along lines 24, 26, 28 and 30 andscored along line 29, it is also provided with a line of score 32extending transversely across the tab 22 from the point of juncturebetween line of score 29 and line of cut 30. This line of score 32 isextended across the tab 22 at right angles to the straight line formedby line oi score 29 and line of cut 30 to line of cut 24, to set on' anear 3d denned by line of cut 30, that portion of line of cut 2li betweenline of score 32 and end line of cut 28, and the line oi cut 28.

A portion of the line of cut 24 forming one longitudinal edge of the tab22 is inclined inwaruly Irom a point spaced from line o1' cut 28 formingthe normally lower end of the tab 22, and this angled portion of line ofcut 24 creates a narrower section on ear 34 and thereby a narrower partin the opening 36 which is developed in the sheet 20 when tab 22 isfolded outwardly along line of fold 29 and line 0f cut 30. Thus, the ear34, when folded outwardly and downwardly at an angle from the majorplane of tab 22, will bridge the narrower part of opening 36 andfrictionally engage the marginal edge of sheet 20 at the edge created byopening 36 when tab 22 is turned outwardly to.

the position shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The frictional engagementbetween ear 34 and the aforesaid portion of sheet 20 will maintain theear 34 in place to hold its related tab 22 in a position perpendicularto sheet 20, but when a cartridge I4 is moved into the stall betweenadjacent tabs 22, theear ofY one ofthe tabswhich is engaged bytheca'rtridge I`4 will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 1, whereit lies in substantially the same plane as its supporting tab 22 and tocooperate therewith in presenting apart of the partition betweenadjacent cartridges I4.

'I'he rigidity of ear 34when theA separator is being transported,introducedfintoI box portion I0, or otherwise handled before theintroduction l end progressively decreases as the lower end isapproached; and a line of score extending trans- .,versely across thetab from the point of juncture between the said short cut and saidrelatively shortA line ofY fold aligned therewith to set 01T an ofcartridges I4, is sufficient to maintain theftabs l 22 in place, thus toinsure no maladjustment that would prevent quick packagingofthe-cartridges at the point of` production. The ears 34 mand tabsY22of. each ear;andtabrstructure are unitary, andthe doublezfunction`offears 34,-i. e.

that ofholding the tabs 22 in placebefore the cartridges I4 arepositioned and that of forming apart of a partition between thecartridges after the latter are positioned, isv highly advantageous in astructure of this. character.

Having thus described the invention, what is Yclaimed as new and.desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A :separatore for cartridge cartons comprising a flat sheet of foldablematerial; a plurality of parallel, laterally extending. elongated tabscut fromV thegsaid sheet ofmaterial, each tab being formed by a line ofcut at one longitudinal edge and a line of cut at both endsthereofirespectively, and a relatively short line of` fold and an Yaligned short line of cut at the opposite Ylongitudinal edge, said shortline of cut extending inwardly earv portion on the tab, said ear portionbeing inclined downwardly and outwardly from the line'ofscore and inengagement with the marginal edge of said inwardly inclined cut, whenthe tab is moved toits laterally extended position, whereby to bridgethe opening in the sheet and to hold the tab againstv returning towardits initial'position i RICHARD C. MARSHALL.

' REFERENCES CITED VThe following references are of record inthe file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

